The Prince's Bride
by Saiyasha Misamurai
Summary: When you become a vampire, you give yourself away to the clan. But what if you aren't yours to give? If it was a choice between the one you fell in love with, and the one who sacrificed their humanity for you, how could you decide?
1. The Rumor

**The Prince's Bride**

Seba watched as his two companions sped forward, trailing the vampaneze's scent. He had stopped suddenly, leaving the other two to continue.

He immediately recognized the creature's path and had an idea.

"Paris! Geoffrey! Hold on! I just thought of something!" he caught their attention.

"Seba? What are you _doing!?_ Come on!" Geoffrey urged. They would lose the fugitive's trail if they waited too long.

"We've nothing to worry about," Seba said in a somewhat laid-back fashion.

"I already know where he's going. We can take a shortcut and head him off."

"What? How do you know?" Paris questioned curiously.

"Never mind that! Let's just go!" Geoffrey shouted impatiently.

"Follow me," Seba turned and led his friends deeper into the woods.

*****

"Hey, Miki?" Naliasar Engel stood from her chair and stepped out into the front yard. Her brother was chopping firewood.

"Yes, Nailey?" Mikial Engel set his axe against a nearby tree and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"What is a hunter?" she tilted her head to the side in question.

He blinked at her.

"A hunter? Come on, now, you've gone hunting with me tons of times!"

"Well, yeah, but…" she paused. "That's not what I meant. I heard Remy's dad say something about a hunter coming here to rest; how the town could be in trouble. What's that about?"

Her brother looked at her, but said nothing, _'A hunter? But that could only be…'_

"Miki, why would the town be in danger? What kind of hunter is he? Is he that man who's been stealing cattle from Ben?" she demanded. "If there's something I don't know, tell me!"

Mikial let out a long sigh, "No, Nalia, it isn't the man who took Ben's steer; they caught him. And besides, Ben wouldn't be a threat to the entire town."

"Then who's that man?"

"Nalia, have you ever heard the Tale of the Three Brothers?"

He caught her off guard.

"W- well, Miss Helen was telling us about it, but…"

"But?"

"I was… drawing." She blushed and laughed nervously. _'Such __a quick __change of mood. I hope that doesn't get her into trouble some day.'_

"How are you ever going to learn if you don't listen to your teacher?" He sighed.

"Sometimes I worry you'll turn out to be a slacker and depend on me for the rest of your life."

"Were you going to tell me this story?"

He took a deep breath.

"Alright. Let's go warm up; it's too cold out here." He grabbed his axe and put it in the shed before joining her inside.

"Okay, you ready to hear a story?" her brother asked loudly.

"Come on, already!"

"Well hang on a second, I haven't even sat down!"

"Then sit!" she demanded, pointing at the stool across from her.

He shook his head. _I feel sorry for the poor sap who marries this girl._

He took a seat and crossed his ankle over his knee. Naliasar copied him.

"Don't sit like that Nailey. It's not ladylike."

She humphed and crossed her arms. "I don't care about that stuff."

"You will when every man in town knows what you look like down there."

She turned scarlet and looked away. "Just tell your story."

"Okay. Here we go."

_**A/N: (Interesting Information) Naliasar is an ancient abandoned village in India. Also, Engel is an Anglo-Saxon term for Angel.**_


	2. The Tale of the Three Brothers, Part 1

**The Prince's Bride**

"Thousands of years ago, during the Rule of Greece, there were three brothers who lived in the small city of Truth. Omul and Uman were twins, who did everything together. Hom was the eldest, but the weakest in comparison to his siblings.

"One day, Omul and Uman decided to go hunting. While they were out, they found a small man sitting near a river. When they asked him what he was doing, he said, "I am waiting for a flood."

""Why?" they asked. This river hadn't flooded in years, and why would anyone want to be close by when it did? "It's coming soon!" the man foretold. Slightly bothered by this, the brothers left for home. They agreed to dismiss the old man as crazy. His prophecy meant nothing.

"A few weeks later, the animals in the village started to misbehave. They were running around, knocking things over, and making all sorts of noise. The town was in disarray. Omul and Uman didn't connect it to the old man, and they had forgotten to tell Hom. Shortly afterwards, water leaked into the streets, and the brothers could not ignore it any longer. The old man's words had been true.

"Overcome with shock and fear, they told their brother. "Well," he said, "we must find this old man and ask him if there is anything we can do to stop this flood."

"The three brothers traveled through the woods, in search of the old man. Just as they approached the spot where the twins had last encountered him, they heard gleeful shouts which rang out, "Hee, hee! It will happen, they will all die! Oh this is so much fun!" Confused, the men followed the voices to a small cave.

""What should we do?" Uman asked outside the entrance. "We came here to save our village. Let us enter," Hom said. The other two agreed and together they all entered the cave. It didn't take long before they saw the man. He was talking to a small, hooded figure. The cave was dark, with the exception of one lonely candle.

""You there! Old man!" Omul cried. "Are you responsible for the damage done to our village!?" The man's attention turned to the three, and he gave them an ugly sneer. "I might be, but why should I tell you?" He snickered loudly, "Oh yes, oh yes, they will be all gone. Within the fortnight, they shall die!"

""Are you speaking of our people? Old man, what can we do to save our village? We are willing to lay our lives down." Uman said. "Oh? And what are your lives to me?" he jeered.

"Hom spoke up, "Please, there must be something we can do." The man stopped to think about this for a while. He snapped his fingers and cried, "I've got it!"

"At the same time, the entrance to the cave crumbled shut, blocked by an avalanche of rocks. The brothers were startled. Who was this strange man? He continued.

""I'll let one of you go to warn the village, while the other two stay here with me. These two shall never leave; they will travel with me until they die. If you do not agree, then I will keep you here, and release you only after the flood has destroyed your village, and killed all who live there."

_**A/N: **__**(II) Omul is short for Omului, which is Romanian, Uman is short for Umano, which is Italian, and Hom is short for Homo, which is Latin. All of these words translate over as 'Human'.**_

_**Saiyasha Misamurai**_


	3. The Tale of the Three Brothers, Part 2

**The Prince's Bride**

"The brothers paused, wary, but they eventually decided to go along. After all, what the old man offered meant that no one would die if they agreed. Uman and Omul chose to stay behind. When the old man approved, Hom was free. He set off immediately for the village, not stopping for anything. He got to his home in time and told everyone to leave.

""A man has my brothers," he said. "They gave themselves for all of you. Come with me now; do not let their sacrifices be in vain." The townspeople were skeptical, but not unwilling to abandon their drenched homes. They followed Hom away, and everyone left for a different location. Hom soon was married, and moved to a nearby island. The old village flooded, as prophesized, and everyone was relieved that they were safe.

"While the people lived out their lives, Omul and Uman remained with the small old man. They had been told, after their brother left, that they were not to see him again, and trying to make contact with him would be rewarded with a terrible penalty. But, while the two were under his control, they were given special blood. This enhanced their senses and made them stronger and faster. They were free to use their abilities as they pleased, so long as they did not stray from his rules, and continued to do his bidding.

"But the days multiplied, and eventually turned into years. The two brothers ached to see their sibling again. They missed him dearly. One night, they decided that the old man wasn't going to stop them from seeing their brother. They went to his home, to see him and meet his wife. They had a merry night, with lots of drinks and laughter, and the brothers were happy to be reunited. But at the end of the evening, Omul and Uman told Hom that they could never see each other again.

"When they returned to the old man, he was waiting for them. "I know what you did," he said. "Did you really think you could fool me? This will not go unpunished!" He banished them to darkness, making their skin pale so they could never again see the light of day. He then forced them to drink the blood of humans, and made it so they could not survive without doing so. But the worst punishment they suffered, the most cruel, was what sparked an ancient war between us and them."

"Who's _'them'_?" Naliasar interjected.

"You'll find out later," Mikial said, still surprised that his sister was so unaware of the story.

"Oh," she said simply, "Okay, carry on."

"Alright. Anyway, the old man made it so their desire for blood was so strong, they couldn't resist it. However, for their first feed they were not capable of drinking from any other humans but two. Hom and his wife. The two brothers held on for as long as they could. They didn't want to hurt their brother. But the lack of blood soon drove them mad. They couldn't take it anymore, and instinct brought them to their dear brother's doorstep.

"Omul attacked Hom; Uman got his wife. They were both drinking like mad, sucking the blood from their victims, not stopping for anything. Their thirst was too great. Uman drank every last drop of the woman's blood, but Omul began to show restraint. His humanity got a hold of him, and he quit before killing his brother. Shamed by what they had done, the two ran and hid in the woods.

"Hom and his wife were later found by a neighbor who was concerned with their absence. Hom was treated, and he made a full recovery. His wife was cremated, and poured into the very river that had flooded his home so long ago. He did not know that his brothers were weeping as well.

"Over the next few years, Hom sat at his window, always silent, always listening. He never left. More bodies began to pile up. Uman had never learned restraint when drinking, and he always killed his victims, while Omul always held back, and let his victims live. The more people who died, the more Hom's anger and hatred were fueled.

"He eventually founded a place where people would hunt down those who betrayed him. He called it the Hunter's Guild. Everyone who lost somebody because of those subhuman creatures joined and fought. Soon, Omul and Uman couldn't handle it any longer, and they had to flee. They found a large mountain in an isolated location, which they built their home upon. They were creatures not meant for society, and as such, had to avoid the eye of the public.

"Later, the old man appeared before the two brothers, and told them one last thing. "By sharing your blood with humans, you can turn them into one of you. You can teach them your traditions. You can be a race of specimen far greater than humans."

Mikial paused for a moment, and then raised his voice to make the most powerful statement the story contained;

""You will be the Vampires!""

_**A/N: Vampires! Yay!!! ^_^**_


	4. A Disconcerting Cry

**The Prince's Bride**

Naliasar sat there quietly. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"So, what does this mean? Vampires are real?"

"No one really knows, and if they do, no one's saying anything. But one thing we do know is that if Vampires exist, and that guy is a Hunter, then some crazy Vampire is going to want revenge, and he could take it out on the whole town. That's why we're in supposed danger."

"So, will it really happen? Is the town going to be destroyed?"

"I don't think so. I don't believe in Vampires. Don't listen to Trevor, he's paranoid. Remy too, his father's got him brainwashed."

"Mikial…"

He looked up. Naliasar never used his full name like that.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I feel bad for the Vampires! I really do! Why can't the Hunters see that this isn't their fault? Are they stupid?! Why are they so mean?"

"Naliasar…"

*****

"Dad, how long are we going to be here? I want to go home."

"A little bit longer, Remy. We've still got to catch dinner."

The two were laying on a rock that jetted out over a pool not too far from their cabin.

Remy sighed. Any longer and his eyes were going to pop out.

His dad was doing nothing but watching the water, net in hand, waiting. He knew the only way to catch a fish was to place your net in the water and let it rest there. Eventually the fish would get comfortable, and wander over to explore.

But they had been living off this pond for a few years, and the creatures that lived there seemed to be catching on.

"Gotcha!" His father pounced. Startled, Remy jumped to his feet. He lost his balance and slipped off the rock and into the water.

Standing up, holding his net triumphantly to display a small fish flopping madly inside, Remy's father grinned proudly.

"See, son? That's how you do it!" When he heard no response, he looked around to find that his child was not by his side.

"Remy?"

"Dad!" The small boy caught his attention. He was swept downstream.

"Remy!" his father cried. This creek emptied into the river, and the current was too strong for his son.

The cry sounded far. It caught the attention of Remy's mother, Sheila Hoover, Mikial and Naliasar Engel, the shopkeeper and her husband, who was also the town locksmith, and Lonnie Cranch, the mysterious stranger suspected of being a member of the Hunter's Guild.

The 38-year-old man had been outside, wandering through the trees, scoping out his environment. He was downstream from where the cry stemmed, and instinct told him to get closer to the water. After a few seconds, he saw a small figure speeding in his direction. It was a child!

Acting purely on impulse, Lonnie jumped out over the creek and grabbed a tree branch hanging in front of him. It instantly bent, letting the man plummet into the current below. He barely resurfaced in time to grab the child by the arm.

He pulled the kid onto his back and warned him to hang on tightly. Lonnie tried pulling the two of them back to shore. Perhaps he could have accomplished this on his own, but with the added risk of losing the child it was impossible.

He had no choice but to wait for help to arrive.

"Hey!" Lonnie yelled. He prayed someone would hear him, but with the sound of gushing water drowning out his voice, he didn't put much hope into that method.

"Hello! We need help over here!" The man continued to shout.

"I can help you."

Lonnie looked above him. There, sitting comfortably on a branch of the tree, was a vampaneze.

"Who are you?" Lonnie asked warily.

"But I won't," the creature continued, ignoring his question. "It's really too bad, since you're the only one here I can comfortably talk with, what without having to worry about slipping up and revealing my true identity. But, 'oh well', I suppose. I think I'll go to that village over there, since you're busy at the moment."

He hopped down and waved to the distressed hunter, "See you."

Lonnie could do nothing but watch as the creature sped off toward the unsuspecting village.


	5. Bloodcurdling Worries

**A/N: Monkeys.**

**That is all.**

**The Prince's Bride**

"What was that?" Naliasar asked quickly, startled.

Mikial was already on his feet. He grabbed his gun, prepared to answer the cry.

"I'm not sure," he said quietly.

Thinking quickly, he immediately grabbed a key ring from a nail on the wall.

"Here," he handed it to his sister. "You know the drill. The word is 'pickpocket'."

Naliasar nodded quietly. She grabbed some charcoal and a piece of paper, and then rushed for the cellar, keys jingling in her hand.

The adrenaline in Mikial's veins was pumping wildly, a defense mechanism for self-preservation; though he used it to protect his sister more than anything. He watched her depart.

'_Please be safe.'_

He stood for a few more seconds, listening for any further sign of trouble, and then headed out towards the other end of their small town.

*****

"Remy! Remy! Oh, dear God, my son!" Trevor Hoover was on his knees, crying out in anguish. His wife was by his side, holding onto his arm while eyeing the environment tentatively, hoping at any moment that their son would come bouncing towards them from any direction.

"Trevor!" A small crowd of people gathered around them, looking tense.

"What happened?" Mrs. Hansen, the shopkeeper, asked hurriedly.

"Remy…" Trevor moaned painfully.

"Trevor, what happened to Remy?" someone asked seriously.

The anguished man pointed to the creek. No more explanation was required.

Everyone was in a bustle; Mrs. Hansen helped the distraught couple to their feet and led them to her home, her husband and a few other men retrieved some torches, multiple lengths of rope, and a couple hunting dogs to help in the search.

The men headed out at a group sprint, knowing they couldn't outrun the river but attempting to anyway. No one believed they would get to Remy in time, but so long as they could try, then they would.

Just as the firelight of their torches dissipated in the overwhelming darkness of the trees, Mikial arrived, gun in hand, prepared for the worst.

"Hello?" he called nervously, seeing no one.

'_Did I miss something?"_

He stood there for another moment or so, and then ran to the nearest house he could find.

"Um… hello?" a shaky voice answered his loud banging on the door.

"Mary!" he nearly shouted, relieved. "Listen, I heard a scream just a little while ago. You wouldn't happen to know-"

"Oh! That!" She sounded equally relieved, and yet, altogether horrified, "Yes, my husband went to investigate. He and the others took off just a minute ago. Little Remy fell and-"

Before she could finish, another scream echoed throughout the village. It came from the house across the road from Mikial and Mary.

The two stared in cold fear at the structure. It belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Hansen.

"I, uh… I should probably go find out what that was," Mikial said quietly.

"Mary," he ordered with sudden sternness, "Draw all of your curtains, lock your doors and windows, take your children, and hide in your cellar until your husband returns, alright?"

She nodded shakily. "Good luck, Mikial," she whispered before closing the door.

The butterflies in Mikial's stomach were in frenzy, causing him to tremble as he moved.

He cautiously approached the window of the Hansen's home, crouched out of direct sight. When he reached the house, he peeked inside.

The scene was heart stopping.

In the candlelight, three bodies lay strewn on the floor. Mikial could make out the silhouette of Trevor and Sheila. They laid there, motionless.

As his eyes began to adjust to the room, he could see the glazed look of their eyes, their slit throats, and the unusual lack of blood that should have been pooling around their bodies.

In a far corner of the room, the third body rested. Only it wasn't exactly like a body. It was more like a clump of shadows that were… _moving!_

His breath caught in his throat as he tried to make out what was happening. However, the candlelight wasn't enough to decipher the mystery.

Mikial decided not to stay any longer. He stood slowly and headed towards his home at a fast walking pace in an attempt to remain undetected. He prayed that Naliasar was still safe, and that the two of them could leave before whatever was happening got to them.

'_Naliasar…' _A single tear rolled down his cheek as he continued his painstakingly slow pace.

'_If that thing gets anyone, don't let it be her.'_


	6. The Kidnapping

**The Prince's Bride**

Hartyr stood and looked outside. He thought he heard something.

A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth and traveled down his chin. There was nothing in the window.

'_Guess I was hearin' stuff,' _he thought callously, and turned back to the body of the old woman.

He continued to feed for a few minutes, but, unable to escape the feeling that he was being watched, glanced at the window again.

Still nothing.

"I'm sick of this," he spat. The old woman's blood wasn't worth the nervous feeling accumulating in his abdomen.

He peeled the now hardened trail of blood off of his chin before leaving the house in search of different prey.

He traveled behind the houses, off the road. There didn't seem to be anyone anywhere. However, his sharp eyesight caught the flicker of a candle, and from what he could tell, the source was a small cabin just past the end of the road.

'_Just when I was beginning to think this was a desert town.' _He sped off towards the Engel home.

Naliasar sat in the cellar, drawing little people on her paper with charcoal.

Her hands and some of her face were stained black, but she didn't stop. She was willing to do anything to keep her mind off of Mikial, and whatever might have happened outside.

Just as she started on a house in the background of her picture, she heard some rustling above her head.

She approached the door of the cellar, and opened it as much as the lock would allow.

"Mikial?"

Hartyr had been tearing apart each room in search of life. The vampaneze stopped when he heard the small whisper. He listened some more.

"Mikial? Is that you?"

It was a young girl's voice. It was coming from outside.

In a flash, Hartyr was in front of the cellar door.

Naliasar backed away in shock at the inhuman speed, causing the crack in the door to close with a small thump.

Hartyr licked his lips in anticipation.

"Now, now, little girl, don't be afraid," he coaxed tenderly, hoping to lure her away from her hiding place. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest and smiled to himself, satisfied. He'd caught a young one, full of life.

He grabbed the edge of the door, and it opened about an inch before confirming his suspicions that it was locked.

He looked inside, trying to adjust his eyes to the warm light which bathed the small room. When his eyes rested on the girl, she was holding a scraper in her hand.

This caused the vampaneze to break out in hysterics, though he didn't move away from the door.

"What do you intend to do with-"

WHAM.

Naliasar charged while he spoke, aiming for his face through the crack. The thin flatness of the tool allowed for it to strike him without much resistance from the door.

Hartyr was knocked backwards. He was momentarily stunned, but when he finally blinked, a searing pain in his face caused him to cry out.

Naliasar dropped her tool and blew out the candle, hoping that the darkness would give her some sort of cover.

In a rage, the vampaneze tore open the doors, only to find it dark.

'_This is one clever girl,' _he observed.

"Very tricky, little one, I applaud you. But I can still-"

WHAM.

She had picked the scraper up again, and this time it hit him on the flat end. He was a little less surprised this time; in fact, he snatched it from her quickly before she could withdraw; but, he was still shocked that such a young girl had been able to plant two hits on him.

Naliasar didn't waste any time. She clambered her way out of the cellar and used her best sprint to make it to the road, while the vampaneze stood in a slight daze.

Her brother was visible about ten meters away, and Naliasar almost collapsed in relief.

"MIKIAL!" she shrieked, tears running down her face.

Hartyr rubbed either side of his forehead, and then followed the girl.

Mikial's breath hitched as he saw a tall figure chasing after his sister. He cocked the shotgun in his hand and bent down on one knee, aiming it at the tall assailant.

Naliasar froze.

"Who in the hell are you?" he growled angrily at the figure.

The vampaneze slowed.

"I am Hartyr," he approached the small girl in front of him and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"This is a fine kid you've got here. Cracked me a couple of times in the head pretty good," He took one fist and knocked it over his head in an explanatory motion, "But you should tell her that men don't go down so easily, and she'd fair a little better in life by not pissing them off. Though I suppose it won't matter much now," he shrugged.

Mikial grew tense, and, in a sudden panic, tightened his forefinger around the trigger.

A deafening shot sounded, and some smoke issued from the long barrel.

He peeked up above his gun to make sure the man was dead, but when he looked at the ground before him there was no body.

His eyes immediately shot to his sister. The man stood with his hand clamped around her tiny mouth.

"Tsk… Too bad for you that didn't hit me."

He lifted Naliasar over his shoulder and ran into the trees before Mikial could blink.

Not ready to give up, Mikial got on his feet and followed the other man at top speed. When he shoved the brush aside, however, he saw the shrinking figures of the man and Naliasar, and knew he wouldn't catch up.

As if in a trance, he stood, walked into his home, and blew out the candle. He then ran off to find Mary, to ask her once more where the other men had gone.


	7. The Rescue Party

**The Prince's Bride**

"This way!' Richard shouted. His dog was running towards a far off distance in the trees.

Several men chased after it, hearts pounding, hoping that Remy would be alive, wherever he was.

The dog arrived in a clearing of the trees, several meters off from the river. The men paused just outside the opening, as if a barrier was stopping them from going any further.

The dog picked up something with his mouth, and turned around to drop it at his owner's feet.

"What is it, boy?" Upon closer inspection, the mystery item was revealed to be the corpse of cottontail hare.

"It's a rabbit!" one man scoffed.

Several "false alarms" and "keep goings" circulated as men left the clearing to continue the search.

"Hey! Help!" A distant-sounding shout came from somewhere nearby.

Almost immediately, the rustling of feet and barking of dogs headed towards the voice.

'_Finally'_, Lonnie thought, relieved. He had been in the water for about half an hour.

"Dear God," Mr. Hansen said, taking in the scene. Remy was holding onto Lonnie's back, eyes shut, visibly crying while bobbing up and down in the current. Both of Cranch's hands were clinging to the branch of a willow tree, while the moving water was tugging at the rest of his body.

Snapping back into reality, Mr. Hansen ordered men into action.

"Christopher, tie the rope securely to that tree. Richard, keep track of the dogs and keep em' out of the way. Hey, you!" He shouted to Lonnie, "Can you hang onto the branch with one hand?"

Lonnie shook his head. Physically, he _could_, but for the child's sake, it wasn't a good idea.

"Alright, someone's gonna hafta go in there."

"I'll do it." A man named Marshall stepped forward.

"Okay, you're it. Hey, Daniel, grab a couple of the extra ropes and tie them to two of these trees. Marshall, you're gonna tie one rope to the man, and the other rope to Remy. Make sure they won't fall off, and make sure your knots are good and tight. After that, the rest of us," He indicated the six other men, " will pull the three of you onto the bank. Can you handle that?"

"Yes, I can."

"Alright. Daniel?"

"Just one more second." He tightened his knot around the second tree, "Done."

"Here, let me see if you can do this. Tie this end around you." Mr. Hansen handed the end of the first rope to Marshall. He pulled a quick buntline hitch tight around his waist, and his observer approved.

"Alright, let's get you in the water!"

As they lowered Marshall into the creek, a little upstream from Remy and Lonnie, one man came up behind Mr. Hansen and asked, "Isn't this a little dangerous?"

"I'm afraid it's all we can do."

"Alright, now pull!" one of the men lowering Marshall called.

"Richard, what the hell are you doing? Get over here!" one man cried. A few people stopped to look at him. He wasn't facing them; his eyes were wandering through the trees.

"I saw something," he whispered.

Hansen approached him and followed his eyes; there were nothing but shadows.

"What?"

"Something… human."


	8. Confrontation

**The Prince's Bride**

He inhaled cautiously, as if too sudden a movement would kill him.

"Richard, enough games, we gotta get them out of the water!"

Lonnie looked around. He'd noticed something too.

'_Don't tell me there are more of them…_' he inwardly groaned, '_What horrible timing._'

After a few moments, he called out to Marshall.

"Here! Take the kid!"

Marshall looked at him, uncertain, but when he saw Lonnie thrusting Remy towards him by the arm, he didn't have a choice. He glared as best he could at the man through the current as he pulled the boy close to him.

Lonnie's shout had redirected attention towards the crisis at hand, and about five men, excluding Richard and Mr. Hansen, went to pull Marshall and Remy out of the water.

The hunter, however, had pulled himself out and was standing on his feet merely seconds after surrendering the child. Once adjusting to land, he rushed over to Richard; hand on the gun in his harness, prepared.

"What did you see?"

The man dazedly pointed out in front of him, and a shadow moved quickly, startling them both.

Mr. Hansen saw them jump, "What is it?"

"Shhhh…"

There was a large thump; Marshall had fallen to the ground, Remy still clinging to his shoulder. As if on cue, Remy began to sob.

"Would someone shut that kid up!?" Lonnie whispered harshly. Marshall clamped a hand over the child's mouth.

At some point, though no one really knew when, Lonnie had assumed authority. Now he was in charge, and no one was going to cross him.

"Does anyone have a gun?" Nobody spoke.

"Damnit."

Lonnie pulled out his flintlock and cocked slowly.

"Alright, now everyone listen; I want you all to grab anything within reach. Rocks, sticks, and you're gonna need those torches. Leave the dogs on their own; they aren't in any danger. Lose any unnecessary weight, save for your britches and anything which can be used as a weapon. Then get into a tight-knit group and follow me."

"Why?" A younger man asked.

"I'm not waitin' to find out," Mr. Hansen said flatly, and shook off his heavy coat.

The other followed his lead. Marshall stood up and set Remy on his feet, warning him to be quiet.

When everyone was set, Lonnie jogged in front of the group, and they all moved slowly toward the village.

*****

"Thank you, Mary. I appreciate it." Mikial tipped his hat and walked away, in the direction of the others.

"Oh, and Mikial?" He stopped and turned around, "Yes?"

"Tell Mrs. Hansen that I'll take Trevor and Sheila off her hands tomorrow, would you?"

His fist tightened momentarily, a little disappointed that she'd believed his lie, but then nodded with the best smile he could muster, "Will do."

She shut her door and Mikial faced the woods. The butterflies were fluttering madly in his stomach again, but when images of what that monster could be doing to his sister flashed through his head, he quickly immobilized them and took off running.

As far as he knew, there was only one person who could help him now.

*****

After about a half hour of wandering, the group began to grow restless.

"This trip'll take twice as long at this pace!" Daniel whined.

"Yeah, we've been out here for how long? And we ain't seen a damn monster yet. Wha'd you call them things? Vampanties?" a man named Howard argued.

"_Vampaneze_. And it's quite possible they've already reached your village. We need to stay alert; there may only be a couple, in which case, we could take them. But if we grow reckless, then they'll have the upper hand."

"If we can take them things, then why ain't we goin' after em'?"

"Because there may be more than one or two out here. If it was one of them against one of you, then you'd lose, which is why we've got to have faith in numbers, and pray that nine of us are enough."

"Well, if there were more than one or two, then wouldn't they have attacked us by now?" Marshall pointed out.

Lonnie was quick to answer. He'd been through this routine many times before.

"Probably, but with them you can never tell. They like games just as much as they like dinner; bear that in mind."

They walked on in silence for a few minutes longer before they stopped. Just ahead of them, there was a crunch of leaves, as if someone was walking towards the group.

"What's that?"

"I don't know…"

"It's one of them Vampanties! Outta my way! I'm getting outta here!"

Panic started to spread.

"Let's go!"

"Where?!"

"Which way are they?!"

Someone pushed Daniel over; everyone was shoving except for Lonnie and Mr. Hansen.

"Silence!" Lonnie called out. The group settled immediately. Howard was whimpering; he'd turned a shade of pale, but the rest looked at the hunter.

"It's not a Vampaneze; they're too stealthy. Anyway, even if it was, you'd all be dead. Panicking is the first step off the cliff."

A couple of the men glared at Howard.

"Speaking of Vampaneze, we need to talk," A strange voice spoke.

Lonnie turned to face, and Mikial addressed him with a stoic expression.

**A/N: I know, the last two have been slow chapters. I'm going to Naliasar next, though, so be patient.**


	9. Transcending Presences

**The Prince's Bride**

Hartyr sped through the trees on his toes; he wasn't fond of flitting, but it was the quickest way to his hiding place.

"Dammit! Lemme go!" Naliasar kicked with all her might, though it barely registered to him. Soft flesh was nothing compared to steel.

'Okay; left, right, right, wait for the rock, and- oh, wait a minute.'

He stopped, eyeing his surroundings.

'Did I make a wrong turn?' he wondered.

In an instant, three figures dropped from the trees and surrounded he and the girl.

Hartyr took a defensive position and growled, "How in the hell did I not smell you?"

One of the figures took a step forward.

"Hartyr, of the Vampaneze clan; you have committed a crime against the vampires. Our treaty states that you are to pay, now, with your life."

"Get back," He warned, "I've got a kid."

All three stepped into the light.

Naliasar looked at them curiously, forgetting her fear for the moment. One had dark brown hair, and green eyes which glinted in the light. Another looked somewhat old, perhaps early fifties. His hair was graying, and he had hundreds of scars on every inch of visible flesh. The third was similar to the second, only younger and in better condition.

They all had pale skin under the dirt and scratches, and all three were very muscular.

'So's this guy,' Naliasar mentally observed. This was her first chance to get a good look at her assailant; though from her perspective he was upside down and backwards.

"Why would we possibly care for the fate of the child-" the first one began, but the second cut him off.

"We wouldn't want any innocent victims, Geoffrey," the figure turned to Hartyr, "How about a trade. Name something we could grant you, equal to the girl's worth."

"Freedom," Hartyr muttered.

"She doesn't mean that much to you! You just threatened to-"

"Geoffrey!" the vampire silenced him. "Though he is right," he said, turning back to the vampaneze.

"How about this; you set the girl down, and we'll give you a chance to run. One minute's head start. Deal?"

"Make it two."

"One and a half," Geoffrey haggled.

"Two," argued Hartyr.

"One and a half," the vampire growled.

The vampaneze tightened his grip around Naliasar.

"Alright!" the third vampire spoke this time. "Two minute's head start. Now release the girl."

Hartyr nodded and dropped Naliasar, who instantly crumpled to the ground. Then he turned and raced into the trees.

After about ten seconds, Geoffrey broke the silence.

"How could you _do_ that!?" he yelled.

"Shh! There are small ears present; do not frighten them." The oldest warned. Then he approached Naliasar with his hands outstretched.

"Are you all right, little one?" he asked with awkward gentleness. It was as if he wasn't used to dealing with children.

Naliasar sat up and crossed her arms.

"I'm not little," she huffed, "I'm eight years old."

"But you're little to me," the man chuckled, "Why don't you tell me your name?"

Naliasar hesitated. Her encounter with strangers for the last hour hadn't turned out so well; she wasn't sure whether these people should know her name or not.

"Don't be shy. Here, I'll go first; my name is Paris."

Her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Like the city?!" She asked excitedly.

"Yes, just like the city. Have you been there? To Paris?"

Naliasar paused and shook her head. No, she hadn't been to Paris. But Mikial had said that their mother had once-

'No.' She stopped herself. That topic was forbidden; she would not think of it.

"Are you all right?" he repeated.

She nodded, trying to stray the conversation away.

"Can I go home?" she asked quietly.

"Certainly, little one," the old man smiled.

"Quit calling me little!" She despised it when Mikial did that.

He laughed, "Well, it would help if I knew your name."

She thought for a moment, and then agreed.

"Naliasar."

"Naliasar? How peculiar. I don't believe I've heard that name before, which is a fairly rare occurrence, what with my old age."

"How old are you?"

He seemed to think about that for a moment, "Oh, around sixty, I think. So many years have passed, it's hard to remember."

The first vampire interjected, "Excuse me, but wasn't the limit two minutes?"

"It hasn't been two minutes," the old man replied.

"Yes it has. I counted."

"I've been counting, too. It's only been one minute and forty-four seconds."

"I'll bet half my standing Paris is right."

"It's a moot bet because there's no way to tell!"

"Then why don't you just listen to the eldest and wait a few more seconds?" the third vampire crossed his arms.

"Excuse me?" Naliasar said.

All three turned to her.

"Yes?" Paris answered.

"How am I going to get home?" she asked once more, a pleading look in her eyes.

The three exchanged glances. Geoffrey threw Paris and accusing look that said, 'You're the one who got us into this.'

The eldest turned back to the girl and sighed.

"I'm not completely sure."

**Review!**


	10. An Unpleasant Conversation

**The Prince's Bride**

"Well, we're here. What is it you want to know?" Lonnie kicked his feet up on the table and leaned his chair back. They were in the only saloon in town.

"That man; who was he?" Mikial's feet lay rooted to the ground, and his hand gripping the table. He hadn't taken his eyes off Lonnie since he first saw him in the woods.

As of now, this man was his only link to his sister.

"You get right to the chase," Lonnie observed, taking a drink from a mug that Mr. Hansen had handed to him. Nobody yet knew about the gruesome scene in the Hansen household; Mikial hadn't been sure how to break the news.

"That creature," Lonnie continued, "Was not human. He was what is called a Vampaneze. He's from that myth of yours; the Tale of the Three Brothers? That's a true legend. The story came here a long time ago with a tribe native to the land from which the tale originated. They knew the vampires and had made a treaty with them. However, no one from the tribe was very comfortable around them, knowing what they could do. So they traveled to somewhere around here, where they could feel safe. Ironic; it was settlers like yourselves who wiped them out." He sounded resentful, and you could sense everyone in the room shift slightly.

"So why aren't the Vampaneze mentioned in the story?" Mikial asked.

"Because the vampaneze weren't around at that time. Do you remember; Uman drained the wife of her blood, but Omul left Hom alive? Vampaneze believe it is honorable to kill those from whom they feed. Vampires think it is honorable to let them live. Uman was technically still a vampire, but those whom he blooded, and those whom they blooded-"

"Blooded?"

"'You can share your blood with that of humans and make them one of you.' By exchanging blood, a human becomes either a vampire or a vampaneze, depending on who bloods them. Anyway, Everyone Omul blooded learned his restraint, whereas everyone who was blooded by Uman killed when they fed. When you become superhuman like that, part of the vampire who blooded you is inside of you now, as is the one who blooded him, and he who blooded the one before, and so on and so forth. You gain some of their characteristics, and are a slightly altered person afterward. Only slightly, but enough."

Mikial shook his head. "I don't care about that stuff; I just want to know the basics. Like, how does one go about killing them?"

"Ah… That's not a very safe question. I'm not sure you could do it."

"What!" Mikial exploded, "You can't say that! You're part of the Hunter's Guild, are you not!? You do this for a living!"

Lonnie tilted his head to the side. "That's an interesting accent. It sound Romanian-ish. With a hint of… British? You learned British-style English first, and are now attempting to adopt an American accent, no?"

"What of it?" Mikial growled.

"Nothing; just interesting, that's all. Anyway, back to killing them. I strongly suggest that you go about this by other means."

"Such as?"

"The Hunter's Guild. We take it upon ourselves to protect humans like your sister. The Guild was founded on revenge, but that attitude died out within the first generation or so."

"How do you know about Naliasar!? I didn't tell you anything."

"Well, I ran into that Vampaneze just before he headed off to your place. He struck me as the 'little girl' type. And besides, what else could motivate the prey to hunt the predator? I knew it was your sister because I've been watching this town awhile. I remember everyone who lives here."

Lonnie inwardly noted that the vampaneze had taken a tremendous amount of time to kidnap one little girl. The men had told him that Remy fell into the creek approximately 30 minutes before they arrived. When they came to rescue the two, Lonnie suspected that those men had been the survivors of the vampaneze's attack. However, when he saw that others were still alive, and that Naliasar was the only known victim, he realized that the creature's trip to town had taken much too long for one small child; even if he had been playing with his food. This deduction led him to one conclusion.

There were other victims.

"Who else has been attacked? Do you know?" He asked suddenly.

"Attacked? What do you mean?"

"I mean, who stayed here while you men were gone?"

"Well, there was Mary, and her kids," Mr. Hansen said, "But she couldn't be a victim; I just saw her a couple of minutes ago. Then there was Mikial and Naliasar, whom we already know about. And then-" he stopped. Everyone in the room seemed to understand his silence.

"O-Oh…" was all he could get out.

"Your wife." Lonnie finished.

"I haven't seen Trevor or Sheila either," Daniel spoke.

The hunter stood up.

"Where were they? Someone take me to them. I could find out a lot from their bodies."

"Stop!" The barmaid hissed from behind the counter. She was looking at Hansen.

"It's too soon for him."

The man suddenly broke into sobs. Everyone in the room seemed to glare at Lonnie.

Mikial stood, willing to help in any way, if it meant getting to his sister. He led the hunter to where the bodies of Elaine Hansen, Trevor Hoover, and Sheila Hoover were sprawled.


	11. Kindly Strangers

**The Prince's Bride**

"You don't know?" There was a hint of panic in Naliasar's voice, "How can you not know?"

"I think, maybe…" Paris started. Geoffrey didn't let him finish.

"Oh, no you don't! We can't let Hartyr get away! And it'll take all three of us to bring him back to the mountain alive! We said two minutes, and it's been two minutes."

"58 seconds actually," Paris corrected.

"Whatever! Let's go, _now_, please?"

"You know, he's right, Paris." The third vampire said.

"I know he is," Paris sighed. "I just wish he weren't."

*****

"Ah…" Lonnie Cranch was kneeled on the wooden floor of the Hansen Household.

"What is it?" Mikial was still on edge; he needed every bit of evidence he could find.

"There's nothing." Lonnie said.

"_Nothing_?"

"Precisely."

The hunter stood and faced Mikial, "Take a look."

"Okay…"

He stooped down close to the bodies and investigated.

Sheila Hoover's dress was torn up the leg, where a cut about the length of his big toe ran up her thigh. He looked up at her and saw that her eyes were closed, whereas the eyes of the other two were wide open.

"The eyes?" Mikial suggested.

"You're missing it."

Mikial continued to investigate and noticed three small scratches running along her right cheek. The other two had similar markings.

"What are these??" Mikial asked, pointing them out.

"They're nothing; just standard vampaneze protocol. They always mark creatures that way. Keep looking."

"Hmm… wait, what is that?" He leaned up until he was facing her abdomen. There was something small protruding from her left breast. Mikial pinched as much of it as he could between his thumb and forefinger, and pulled it out.

It was a small dagger.

"He stabbed her?" Mikial thought aloud.

"Well, yes, but that isn't what we want to look at. See that cut on her leg? That's about average size for a vampaneze."

"Average size?"

"The cut. It's for feeding."

"Oh. So, is that supposed to mean something?"

"Yes. It means he wasn't as hungry when he got to her."

"Uh-huh. And the eyes mean nothing."

"Well, I suspect that he knocked her out while attacking the other two, but that's not as important. Anyway, the knife means he's used to concealing his victims. Take a look at the other two. You'll find that they have similar stab wounds. This was made to look like a murder."

"So? What would that tell us?"

"It tells us that he must be used to killing in big cities, where it wouldn't make a difference if a few people died."

"Can that help us?"

"Well, if there's any chance your sister's alive, we could probably guess he'd go back to his comfort zone. What's the closest city?"

Mikial thought for a moment, "I think… Hammond. It's where we get our supplies from. 4,000 people; that's pretty big."

"Right. If we're going to find your sister, that's the first place we should check. There's just one stop we've got to make first."

*****

"So, how'd Hartyr get his hands on you, anyway?" Paris held Naliasar on his back, racing through the trees just as the vampaneze had.

"I remember hearing a couple of screams. Mikial told me to go hide in the cellar while he went to look. I locked the cellar door and waited for him to come back. But then this creepy guy tried to pull open the door, so I grabbed my scraper and hit him with it-"

The second vampire, who's name, she had learned, was Seba, started cackling.

"What?" She snapped.

"A vampaneze letting an eight-year-old girl get through his defenses! It's unheard of! Geoffrey, I think your worries are in vain. We might as well have sent a kitten after him!"

This started all of them off, and laughter echoed through the trees.

However, Geoffrey didn't stay like that, and after a few moments he was focused as ever.

"Oh, lighten up already. You know, you've been chasing this guy around the globe, Geoffrey, and it's starting to show. I noticed that stumble earlier,' Seba said, concerned.

"I'm worried about you. You're working yourself into an early grave with this vendetta."

Geoffrey snorted and ran faster.

"What's wrong with him?" Naliasar asked Paris.

"Oh, nothing, really. He just gets a little worked up when it comes to the vampaneze."

"Did that Hartyr guy kill someone he knew?"

"Well, yes, but it's kind of complicated."

"What do you mean?"

"Er- well, I'm not sure how to explain to such a little girl."

"I'm not little! Quit saying that!"

"You're a stubborn little girl."

"Stop it!" Naliasar screeched. She was getting more comfortable around Paris. Seba seemed friendly enough, though she didn't talk to him much. Geoffrey, however, was extremely intimidating. She wished that he would go find Hartyr on his own.

"Geoffrey, look out!" Seba called.

Geoffrey stumbled over a tree root and slammed into the ground.

When he stood, he was swearing.

"It's doubtful we'll be able to catch up with him after that little disruption," Paris concluded.

"We keep going," Geoffrey said. He took off into the trees again, with Paris, Naliasar, and Seba right behind him.


	12. Inquiries

**The Prince's Bride**

"How long do you estimate this trip will take?" Mikial called to the man ahead of him.

"Not long; actually, we're almost there."

"Really?"

"Yep. In fact, it's right across the river. See the smoke?" Lonnie pointed to the sky, where a large black cloud issued from the trees.

"That's not that far," Mikial concluded.

"It's closer than it appears; the wind is blowing east, making the smoke look further away."

Lonnie signaled his horse to move, and momentarily the two men were galloping towards the water.

*****

"This way!" Geoffrey shouted.

"How does he know that?" Naliasar whispered into Paris' ear.

"Smell; we vampires are quite good at detecting odors," he replied. Inwardly, Paris smiled. This girl was brave; speeding further and further away from her home, faced with the prospect of never returning, yet there was no other evidence of stress or fear anywhere in her demeanor.

Seba suddenly let out a huge yawn.

"Geoffrey, we've been at this all day. Vampires aren't meant to work like this; we need to take care of ourselves. You're tired too. Let's rest."

"No!" Geoffrey shouted.

Seba sighed, "Paris?" It was a pleading voice.

The eldest stopped.

"Seba's right. We'll rest tonight, and start again tomorrow." He pulled Naliasar off his back and set her down.

"Paris, please-"

"Geoffrey," Paris said flatly. That was all that needed to be said, and the furious vampire silenced his objections.

The group began to set up camp; Paris had cleared a small place on the ground for Naliasar while, in an attempt to prove that she was NOT little, she helped Seba gather wood.

The vampire did have to slow down so she could keep up with him, but other than that he insisted that she was very helpful.

When everyone's sleeping areas had been designated, a fire had been lit, and food prepared, the four sat around the flames, idly chatting about random things of interest.

When topics had run out, they sat in silence. After a little while, Naliasar spoke.

"So what now?" she looked around the circle.

Geoffrey, who, despite his contributions to the relatively pleasant evening, had been in a sour mood for the past few hours, stood.

"I'm going for a walk," he grumbled. He then left, with the three looking after him. Once he was out of sight, Naliasar turned to Paris.

"Why's he like that? What did Hartyr do?" When she saw Paris' skeptical look, she added; "I can take it!"

The vampire gave a sigh of concession and nodded.

"Well, I guess if you're stuck with us, it's only fair."

She didn't see the raised eyebrow Seba gave the elder. Instead, she bounced excitedly where she sat.

"Tell me! Tellmetellmetellmetellmetellme!"

"Okay, okay! My, you're a pushy little one."

He took a large bite of a fish in his hand before beginning.

*****

The building the two men approached was tall and large; it was built from stone, and appeared to blend in with the cliffs of granite behind it.

"This is the Hunter's Guild." Lonnie gestured to the structure.

Mikial stood in solemn silence for a second or two, and nodded.

"Let's go," he said in silent authority, and for the first time since he had met him, Lonnie had the instinctual impression that his companion was now in control.

**I've been editing the first few chapters of the story. After rereading some books from the series, I noticed some slight discrepancies which I plan to clear up. **

**Anyway, if you care too see what I've done, I should have things updated eventually.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, R&R, you've been a wonderful audience, etcetera, etcetera…**

_**Saiyasha Misamurai**_


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